Orange County Living Wage (OCLW) is a volunteer-driven 501(c)3 nonprofit that certifies Orange County employers who choose to pay their employees a living wage.

Inspired by the success of the nation's leading living wage certification program, Asheville's Just Economics, Orange County Living Wage formed in 2015 to address the effects of the state's unrealistically low wage floor: the $7.25 federal minimum wage.

OCLW certified our first employer in July of 2015, and three years later, we're proud to number our living-wage-certified employer partners at over 150. In 2017, nearly 90% of our first cohort of (2015) certified employers re-certified at 2017 wages. Living wages are working in Orange County!

Our goals are to:

Reward and recognize employers based in Orange County who pay their workers a living wage

Provide employers with incentives to pay a living wage

Connect consumers to employers that provide a living wage & encourage them to become customers, patients, clients of those businesses and organizations

OCLW partners with employers, consumers, residents, and workers to create a more just and sustainable local economy that works for all. We welcome participation in our work from all members of the community.